Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

2% of individuals carry 90% of SARS-CoV-2 virions: Study of 72,500 tests

In a new study published on the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers analyzed viral loads from pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals in an extensive university surveillance program.

9 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 variants rapidly arise in non-human hosts, potential risk for human reinfection

The study, published on the preprint server bioRxiv*, highlights the need to study viral evolution and pathogenesis in human and animal hosts. This could help prevent future outbreaks that may mimic the magnitude of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

9 Mar 2021

First complete atlas of how mutations affect the formation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease

A study published in the journal eLife made all the possible mutations in the amyloid beta peptide and tested how they influence its aggregation into plaques, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

9 Mar 2021

Phase 2 clinical trial is now open at Columbia to test gene therapy for dry macular degeneration

A phase 2 clinical trial is underway at Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian to test an investigational gene therapy for dry age-related macular degeneration, a progressive, chronic eye disease with no cure and a leading cause of blindness in the United States.

9 Mar 2021

Cooperation between two key genes drives breast cancer growth

Cooperation is generally a good thing -- working together to reach a goal. But in the case of cancer, it can be detrimental. University of Cincinnati researchers have discovered that cooperation between two key genes drives cancer growth, spread and treatment resistance in one particularly aggressive type of breast cancer.

9 Mar 2021

Somatic gene mutations in brain cells could contribute to schizophrenia pathology

Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder that disrupts brain activity producing hallucinations, delusions, and other cognitive disturbances. Researchers have long searched for genetic influences in the disease, but genetic mutations have been identified in only a small fraction--fewer than a quarter--of sequenced patients.

9 Mar 2021

Princeton researchers discover previously unknown organelle that plays role in bone metastasis

Some of Princeton's leading cancer researchers were startled to discover that what they thought was a straightforward investigation into how cancer spreads through the body -- metastasis -- turned up evidence of liquid-liquid phase separations: the new field of biology research that investigates how liquid blobs of living materials merge into each other, similar to the movements seen in a lava lamp or in liquid mercury.

9 Mar 2021

Study describes the infection of human cells by intestinal pathogen during spaceflight

Astronauts face many challenges to their health, due to the exceptional conditions of spaceflight. Among these are a variety of infectious microbes that can attack their suppressed immune systems.

9 Mar 2021

Human cerebral organoid model to screen drugs for treatment of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Approximately two years after establishing a human cerebral organoid system to study Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), National Institutes of Health researchers have further developed the model to screen drugs for potential CJD treatment.

9 Mar 2021

Study uncovers mechanism to help explain how maternal stress causes idiopathic preterm birth

Preterm birth is a leading cause of infant deaths and illness in the U.S. -- yet its underlying molecular causes remain largely unclear. About 40 to 50% of preterm births, defined as births before 37 weeks of pregnancy, are estimated to be "idiopathic," meaning they arise from unexplained or spontaneous labor.

9 Mar 2021

A genetic variant of TMPRSS2 may confer protection against severe COVID-19

Among a large sample of COVID-19 patients, researchers found that a genetic variant – caused by an amino acid substitution from valine to methionine – is associated with a reduced chance of severe disease.

9 Mar 2021

Researchers report zoonotic spillover of adapted SARS-CoV-2 from minks to humans

In a recent report made available on bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers from Poland and Finland reveal a spillover event of mink-adapted severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from farmed mink to humans after an extensive adaptation process.

9 Mar 2021

Scientists develop RNA-based therapeutic strategy for Charcot-Marie Tooth disease

Charcot-Marie Tooth disease is the most common hereditary neurological disease in the world. It affects the peripheral nerves and causes progressive paralysis of the legs and hands.

9 Mar 2021

Rapid increase of UK SARS-CoV-2 variant found in sewage in England between October 2020 to January 2021

A new study confirms the utility of wastewater surveillance as an important new tool in this regard by showing the presence of the UK SARS-CoV-2 variant in wastewater samples from London early in November, with increasing frequency thereafter.

9 Mar 2021

Two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 vaccine induce humoral protection against U.K. and S.A. variants

Researchers at the Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, Department of Virology, Paris, France determined that in BNT162b2-vaccinated participants who received two doses, their sera harbored at least a neutralizing titer against the three SARS-CoV-2 variants.

8 Mar 2021

Worse problems with SARS-CoV-2 variants may be on the way

Researchers at the Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa, found evidence of a significant change in the selective forces acting on immunologically important SARS-CoV-2 genes, such as N and S. These likely coincided with the emergence of the 501Y lineages.

8 Mar 2021

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

2% of individuals carry 90% of SARS-CoV-2 virions: Study of 72,500 tests

SARS-CoV-2 variants rapidly arise in non-human hosts, potential risk for human reinfection

First complete atlas of how mutations affect the formation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease

Phase 2 clinical trial is now open at Columbia to test gene therapy for dry macular degeneration

Cooperation between two key genes drives breast cancer growth

Somatic gene mutations in brain cells could contribute to schizophrenia pathology

Princeton researchers discover previously unknown organelle that plays role in bone metastasis

Study describes the infection of human cells by intestinal pathogen during spaceflight

Human cerebral organoid model to screen drugs for treatment of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Study uncovers mechanism to help explain how maternal stress causes idiopathic preterm birth

A genetic variant of TMPRSS2 may confer protection against severe COVID-19

Researchers report zoonotic spillover of adapted SARS-CoV-2 from minks to humans

Scientists develop RNA-based therapeutic strategy for Charcot-Marie Tooth disease

Rapid increase of UK SARS-CoV-2 variant found in sewage in England between October 2020 to January 2021

Two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 vaccine induce humoral protection against U.K. and S.A. variants

Worse problems with SARS-CoV-2 variants may be on the way

Researchers establish organoid culture models from prostate tumor biopsies

Compounds in green and black tea relax blood vessels by activating ion channel proteins

New academic spin-out based in Finland introduces a nasal spray vaccine against COVID

Impairments in immune response contribute to severe COVID-19

Industry focus eBook - Cell and gene therapy (2nd edition) eBook

Exploring the nanoscale: How AFM is transforming cosmetic science

Innovating Texture and Culture in Plant-Based Foods

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)